An Anaheim Ducks blog, from the perspective of a hockey fan armed with a camera

In praise of Bobby Ryan

"The biggest thing is just his poise and his hands are unbelievable. I played with [Evgeni] Malkin and [Sidney] Crosby, and those guys are probably the two best in the league. Bobby's hands are right with those guys... He's a superstar in the making, it seems."
---Ryan Whitney, former Ducks defenseman

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Yes, just another preseason game, but hopefully one that will give us fans a good idea of what to expect from our boys this season. It was reported that coach Carlyle would be keeping the top RPG line intact, the Fins would be joined by Brandon McMillan on the second line, Andrew Cogliano would play center to Devante Smith-Pelly and Andrew Gordon on the third.

I'm still liking what I've seen with Gordon as well as Maxime Macenauer, hoping they continue their strong strides for roster spots.

I'm also incredibly curious to see how Jonas Hiller fares in between the pipes. He played against the Canucks in Vancouver a few days ago, but I want to see him on home ice with my own eyes.

As for the Canucks, I'm hearing that there are a lot of rookies trying to make the roster. And a lot of the veterans haven't seen much ice time yet. So it might be a slightly lopsided affair, but after watching our rookies beat the pants off of the Los Angeles Kings (who were playing some of their big guns) at the Staples Center Sunday night, anything is possible.

Monday, September 12, 2011

What's quickly becoming a very popular preseason event, the 3rd annual Anaheim Ducks in a Roll took place tonight at RA Sushi in Tustin.

Including this year, I've now been to all three and I can accurately say that it gets more and more crowded every year. When it was announced that Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf would be joined by Bobby Ryan and newcomer Andrew Cogliano, along with one lucky fan, I knew this year's event was going to be a zoo.

The calm before the storm

Arriving early didn't help much. Everyone was there early!

Like last year, seating was virtually nonexistent. There were a few standing tables, but otherwise, fans had to mill about and eat their sushi on the go. The "rules" were basically the same. Guests got to watch the boys roll their specialty sushi rolls and sample each roll. Purchasing a roll for $10 would count as a "fan vote" for that player, and $2 would go to the Anaheim Ducks Foundation. The roll with the most votes earns that player a win in the Fan Favorite category.

Fans eagerly awaiting

Rolls were also rated by a panel of judges and, in the end, an ultimate winner would be announced. That roll would be available on RA Sushi menus for the majority of the upcoming season, along with the $2 donation to charity.

Streamlined from last year, premade rolls were ready to go before the boys learned how to make them

Year after year, the players have a lot of fun with this event. And the fans do too. Let's look at some pictures!

Andrew Cogliano learning how to make his roll

Cogs: "So, how do I start?"

Getting heckled by Gezlaf, although Getzy did admit Cogs' roll was pretty good

Cogs presenting the "Breakaway" roll

"Breakaway" roll: yellowtail, spicy albacore, avocado and cucumber, drizzled with garlic ponzu and sriracha and topped with a slice of jalapeno

I really liked Bobby's roll too. Not too spicy, but very tasty. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately, considering the fate of past fan favorite winners--they always end up traded), Bobby's came in third in the voting.

Getzlaf walked away with the fan favorite vote...

... but it was Cogliano and his "Breakaway" roll that won the judging

You can pick up the "Breakaway" roll at SoCali RA Sushi locations from October 11 until early April of next year, with $2 going to the Anaheim Ducks Foundation.

Said one judge, "Cogliano's roll has a bite to it, which you wouldn't expect from a player who just spent two seasons in Edmonton..."

Acknowledgments

Photos in the headers and sidebar appear courtesy of zimbio.com. Photos within the text of the blog are ones that I have taken myself unless otherwise cited. Please do not reproduce them without my permission, thanks! --Ducks54